Oilers forward Teemu Hartikainen isn’t sticking around in Edmonton to see what new coach Dallas Eakins has to say.

Hartikainen signed a deal with Ufa in the KHL sending him across the ocean after parts of three seasons with the Oilers. The big Finnish forward has played 52 games over that time with six goals and seven assists. The Oilers will continue to hold his rights despite his sudden departure.

Bruce McCurdy of the Edmonton Journal points out Hartikainen leaving is a disappointment for the team as he was finding his way in his extensive time in the AHL. He was set to be a restricted free agent this summer.

22-year-old forward Teemu Hartikainen has a physical side to his game that appeals to the Edmonton Oilers, but he needs to be more consistent if he wants to secure a regular spot on the Oilers’ roster. (Edmonton Sun)

If the Chicago Blackhawks have had a weakness this season, it’s been their mediocre to bad showing with the man advantage. (CSN Chicago)

The Columbus Blue Jackets have battled their way back into the playoff race, but they won’t have time to catch their breath before they continue that struggle. (Columbus Dispatch)

First, there was that center ice goal allowed against David Legwand on Friday, which lead to him being pulled. On Sunday, Dubnyk made way for Yann Danis, but not for performance-related reasons; a collision knocked him out of tonight’s game and he hasn’t returned.

After getting dismantled by Nashville on Friday, the Edmonton Oilers face a tough challenge in the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. With that in mind, it makes sense that captain Shawn Horcoff decided to hold a players-only meeting before today’s game, according to the Edmonton Journal.

“We addressed a couple of issues,” said Horcoff. “We seem to be a little bit fragile right now.

“We came on this trip knowing it was going to be pivotal but we still have an opportunity here to salvage a decent trip and still give us a chance going forward. There’s still half a season left. It’s not over for us yet.

“There’s still belief here we can put a run together.”

Beating the Blackhawks (they’re currently up 3-0 early on) would give some reason to believe.

Unfortunately for Edmonton, the Oilers are in a familiar position at the moment: last overall in the West. They’ve lost five games in row.

Even so, they’re just six points out of the final playoff spot and will see Ales Hemsky, Horcoff and defenseman Teemu Hartikainen return to the mix.

In other words, there are plenty of reasons why that players-only meeting might work (or not).

The Kings skated in Edmonton on Monday, a day after their attempted comeback against the Chicago Blackhawks fell one goal short.

The Kings, who take on the Oilers tomorrow, have continued to play inconsistent hockey since the start of the 2013 lockout-shortened season. Traveling to Alberta, the Kings had won three of their seven games to date in the month of February, and are 14th in the Western Conference standings.